While China-North Korea relations have been deepening, the denuclearisation of North Korea remains to be achieved. China seems to be playing a double game and its claimed sincerity remains questionable. North Korea is unlikely to abandon its nuclear weapon development programme which has deterrence value especially considering that it does not trust China to come to its rescue in case of a threat to its security. As a result, the six-party talks remain in limbo. The US and South Korea feel helpless as long as China does not convey to Pyongyang firmly that it must abandon the path of weaponisation. Whether China make that possible remains a big question mark.